Naruto Flower Tales: Sakura
by Mr. Lee
Summary: A series of Naruto oneshots that involve him, the kunoichis, and flowers. Next up is Sakura. Title is First Love, Last Chance. Rated T for fluffiness and a touch of angst.


Naruto Flower Tales: Sakura by Mr. Lee

This fanfiction will be a NarutoxSakura one-shot

Rated T for fluffiness and a touch of angst

Disclaimer: This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. The author of this fanfiction does not own Naruto or its characters. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. Any other similarities in this story are purely coincidental.

Authors note: Damn :)! The hits just keep on coming don't they? Over 3800 for The Clan of Currents and over 1200 for Naruto Flower Tales: Ino XD! I'm truly honored for all the praise I'm receiving in the short time I've been here. All the more reason I ask you readers to please review me. ALL ARE WELCOME :D! Let me know your thoughts and feelings, they are more important to me than you know. In any case due to the strong response I've received from my Ino one-shot (To those who haven't read it, please do so on my profile and review it. It would be much appreciated :).), I'm writing a new one and it's on the one and only Sakura Haruno. I remember Masashi Kishimoto saying in regards to the pink haired kunoichi that he made her character initially unlikable by design making her one of the biggest 'love/hate' characters in the naruverse and in anime itself next to Sasuke. As you saw in my profile, I do like Sakura. However, I only like her second arc form when she's older (I can't tell you how many times I wanted to smack her 12 year old self.). Yet despite the way she treats him in the first part of the series, Naruto loves Sakura and would gladly risk his life for her despite all the things she's done to him. This is one of the many reasons why he's my favorite ninja in the series next to Gaara. He may be fictional, but he is a young man I** TRULY** respect. The Sakura we know today wouldn't be a reality if it wasn't for the blonde ninja. Sasuke would probably be dead from his battle with Itachi and Sakura wouldn't have all those skills if it weren't for Tsunade who was brought back to Konoha **BY NARUTO**. In any case, I couldn't help but wonder how and when Naruto fell in love with Sakura and still loves her to this day (I may be a gentleman and a man of honor, but even I have my limits when being treated like that. And no, being a tsundere is NO excuse.). This story is one of my interpretations of the start of that love because no matter whom the blonde ninja gets with in the end (As long as the girl loves him, it makes no difference to me.); Sakura will always be his first love. This story takes place when they're around 13 and of course it's AU. This story is dedicated to all romantics out there including you undercover ones (You know who ye be ;).), all NarutoxSakura fans especially dbzgtfan2004 (One of the, if not biggest NarutoxSakura fan on this site.) and to the following NarutoxSakura authors: Sharingank (Thanks for the assist to my question beautiful :).), Mana Mihara, Kluger Sage, Storm of Silver, Miss Soupy, Wrathchylde, Mysterious-Mask, Kiyana Van Sala, Aliora and any other author I missed who's NarutoxSakura stories I've read and enjoyed. Keep them coming! Enough talking, let's get started. Enjoy :)!

_Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you.'- Erich Fromm_

_Love the heart that hurts you, but never hurt the heart that loves you- Vipin Sharma_

**Sakura- First Love, Last Chance**

Haruno Sakura was having a bad day. When she woke up this morning she had a headache, her breakfast was a little burnt due to a mishap her mother had made in the kitchen, she had morning errands to run and her morning ritual of saying good morning to Sasuke and asking him out on a date was shot down before it even started. The only good things today as far as she was concerned was that there were no missions right now and that she didn't see Uzumaki Naruto. Even so, the pink haired kunoichi was in a foul mood this morning, and she was ready to explode at the next person who got on her nerve.

"Could this stupid day get any worse?" Sakura grumbled aloud. As if Kami was answering her question, who should she hear but the one person she did not want to see today. Naruto was walking around the corner with his biggest fans, the Konohamaru corps, carrying a pink flower with red spots on the inside.

"Wow, that's a really pretty flower!" Moegi said with admiration.

"So you're really going to give that to your girl boss?" Konohamaru asked. The spiky blonde blushed slightly while rubbing the back of his head.

"Of course, Konohamaru! I know that Sakura-chan will accept it this year!" Naruto said loudly for the whole village to hear. Sakura heard what they were talking about, but she was too mad at the boys for calling her 'Naruto's girl'.

'You'd think that baka (idiot) would have learned his lesson the last time I pummeled him for that. When he comes around the corner, he's history!' Sakura thought as a vein pulsed on her forehead while she cracked her knuckles.

"I really hope she does Naruto." Moegi said.

"Thanks Moegi-chan." Naruto replied warmly.

"And what will I accept Naruto?" A voice came from around the corner. The four friends snapped out their conversation together to see a fuming kunoichi. But as always, the hyperactive young man was too happy to see his teammate to notice.

"Good morning Sakura-chan! I'm so glad to see you! I was looking for you!" Naruto replied in his boisterous voice. Sakura was about to punch him hard, but when she heard he was looking for her, she calmed down slightly to hear what he had to say.

"What do you want Naruto? I'm in a **very** bad mood today!" The young girl said through grinded teeth. Naruto sensed her killer instinct and gulped visibly as he hid the flower behind his back to surprise her.

"Um, S-sakura-chan. I was hoping w-we could spend the d-day together." He stammered shyly while carrying a blush on his face like Hinata.

"And why would I do that?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. 'After all the times this baka has asked me out, he would know better.' She annoyingly thought.

"W-well it's just that t-today is a very special day, and I w-wanted to give you something s-special." The blonde ninja stammered on as his face became redder.

"Come on boss; just give it to your girl already!" Konohamaru said impatiently giving him a shove forward.

"I will give it to her, Konohamaru. Just give me a minute; I want it to be special for my girl." Naruto replied to him. But just when he was about to continue, he turned to see his 'girl' with fire in her eyes. Needless to say, he knew what was coming. "S-sakura-chan, w-wait a minute! Let me finish..." His words fell on deaf ears as she roared in anger.

"I TOLD YOU BEFORE! I'M NOT YOUR GIRL!" Sakura yelled as she punched Naruto into a wall, causing him to drop the flower in his hand. She stomped up to him, not realizing that she crushed the flower he was going to give to her, causing his three friends to gasp in horror. "Sasuke-kun is the only guy I'll ever allow to call me his girl, you got that you baka?!" She said angrily while looking down at him sprawled on the ground. Naruto got up with a swollen face and saw that the flower he had was broken by Sakura. He felt like his heart had been broken instead.

"I wish that you would look at me the way you look at him." He mumbled with pain in his voice as he looked at the flower.

"Ha! As if I would, Naruto!" She countered coldly. Normally she would not go so far as to say these things to him. But she was having a very bad day and was angry with Naruto, so he seemed like the perfect punching bag for her frustrations at the time.

"At one time you did." He said quietly with his bangs covering his eyes.

"What? I have never looked at you that way and you know it!" The young woman said as her temper started to rise once again. Naruto lowered his head as his friends looked at him sadly.

"So you **did** forget…" The spiky blonde said depressingly. Sakura was getting tired of his cryptic words and she said something to him she would regret for the rest of her days.

"Damn it Naruto, you dobe (dead last) baka, you are so annoying! SOMETIMES I WISH THAT YOU WOULD JUST DISAPPEAR!" The pink haired kunoichi shouted. Everyone gasped at her words. There were times when she would yell at her teammate or scold him for one thing or another, but she **never** went this far. Naruto felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest and stepped on. Not saying a word, he turned away from the girl he loved and started to run away with tears falling all over his face. They say that relief brings recollection, and now that the pink haired kunoichi had released all her pent up frustration from this morning on the young man, she realized that she went to the point of no return with her cruel and heartless comments.

"Oh Kami, what have I done? I-I didn't mean to say that to him." Sakura said stunned by her own words.

"Yes you did!" Konohamaru cried. Sakura and his friends looked at him, shocked by the young boy's sudden outburst. "How could you be so mean?! Can't you see how much Naruto cares for you?!" He added with anger in his voice.

"Konohamaru…" Moegi whispered. Even though the young girl looked up to Sakura, she too was angry at what she did. Sakura lowered her head in shame and regret. Without another word, the corps turned away from her looking at the crushed flower that the blonde ninja was going to give to the young girl and walked away quietly in disgust. Sakura eventually turned around and looked at the crushed flower.

'Was Naruto going to give me this?' She thought, only realizing now what she did to it. 'Why do I feel that a part of my heart is missing when I look at this?' She wondered as she felt a sharp pain in that area. Sakura promised herself she would apologize to Naruto later, but she was running late from her morning errands and she had to finish them. Picking up the remains of the flower for reasons even she didn't understand, the pink haired kunoichi ran home arriving about ten minutes later.

"Sakura, where have you been?" Ms. Haruno asked as her daughter walked through the door.

"Sorry I'm late, Mom." Was all the kunoichi could say, not bringing up the shameful act she just did.

"Are you all right Sakura? You look kind of sad." Her mother asked with concern.

"I ran into one of my teammates. And I think I may have said something to hurt him really badly." Sakura answered while looking away from the parent.

"It was Naruto again, wasn't it?" She sighed. Sakura felt even more horrible, remembering all the times she came home and complained about the hyperactive ninja to her mother.

"Yes Mom…" She replied quietly with her head lowered. Her mother just sighed and shook her head in disappointment. She really wanted to scold her daughter and find out what she said to the boy, but decided against it, hoping she would solve the problem on her own, especially on this day. "Mom, I'm going to find Naruto and apologize to him now." She said with determination.

"Alright Sakura, just promise me you'll listen to what he has to say." Ms. Haruno told her as if she was trying to tell her something. Her child looked at her strangely, but eventually she just nodded.

"I will, Mom…" Sakura said honestly as she left her house, closing the door behind her. As the kunoichi started to look for her teammate, she thought about what she said to Naruto.

_"Damn it Naruto, you dobe baka, you are so annoying! SOMETIMES I WISH THAT YOU WOULD JUST DISSAPEAR!"_

The heartless words that came out of her mouth came into her thoughts repeatedly like a mantra. 'I can't believe I said that to him. He didn't deserve that.' The kunoichi thought sadly. Then the words that Naruto said crept into her mind.

_"I wish you would look at me the way you look at him."_

_"Ha! As if I would, Naruto!"_

_"At one time you did."_

_"What? I have never looked at you that way and you know it!"_

_"So you **did** forget…"_

'Did I really look at Naruto the way I look at Sasuke-kun once?' Sakura thought as she held the remains of the flower she crushed in her hand. The girl checked all the places that the young man frequents during the day. She checked his house, Ichiraku ramen and the Hokage monument, but he was nowhere to be found. Sakura finally made her way to the academy playground and headed to the lone swing, remembering the time she and her team greeted him there once. However, when she got there, her body immediately became cold as ice. At the now destroyed playground was her sensei Hatake Kakashi pulling out a kunai that was in Naruto's heart. The weapon not only had the boy's blood on it, but a dark purple coating on it symbolizing that it was coated in poison. Naruto's orange outfit had cuts and gashes all over it, while at the far right of the two was a dead sound ninja. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura called out as she ran to him and the unconscious boy.

"Sakura, stand back." The copy ninja said, not turning his head as he checked Naruto's wounds. 'This is not good. The Kyubi no Kitsune's (Nine Tailed Fox) chakra is not healing him. It must be the poison.' He thought grimly.

"What happened? Who did this to Naruto?" Sakura asked frantically.

"It seems that Orochimaru was after him." He answered with a scowl on his face.

"But I thought he was after Sasuke-kun." The pink haired kunoichi said as the memory of the curse mark the snake sannin gave the Uchiha in the Forest of Death came rushing back to her mind.

"He probably considered Naruto a threat to his plans and sent this assassin to kill him. If I wasn't passing by at the time, he would be dead." Kakashi explained. The blood in the kunoichi's veins became even colder when she heard those words. She subconsciously touched the pouch where she kept the flower she thoughtlessly crushed. Sakura remembered him saying he wanted to spend the day with her, and because of her rejection and her words, he was on the brink of death. A wave of guilt hit her hard as tears started to form in her eyes.

'This sound ninja may have tried to kill Naruto, but it's because of me that this happened. If only I stayed with him.' Sakura thought painfully. "Is Naruto going to be alright, Sensei?" She questioned with a low voice.

"I don't know. The kunai I pulled out of his heart is covered in some kind of poison. He still has a pulse, but it's very weak." He answered. Normally Sakura would question how Naruto could survive a stab to the heart, she was too concerned about her teammate's wellbeing to think about that now and Kakashi was grateful for it. There was no time to explain about Kyubi anyway. "Let's go Sakura, we have to get Naruto to the hospital right now!" The jonin said as he picked him up and started to run.

"Right!" Sakura replied as they ran swiftly through the rooftops reaching the hospital in just a few minutes. When they entered Tsunade and Shizune was at the front desk getting ready to do their daily round at the facility. When the Godaime Hokage saw the condition of her 'ototo' (little brother), her heart nearly broke in two.

"Kakashi! What the hell happened to Naruto?!" The female sannin asked angrily.

"I'll explain later Hokage-sama. Naruto is dying and he needs to be treated." Kakashi answered hastily.

"I understand. Shizune, let's hurry!" Tsunade said as she took Naruto from the jonin and started to run into the treatment room with her long time friend and assistant.

_Two hours later_

Sakura sat outside the hospital room where Naruto was being kept in after Tsunade, Shizune and a few other med-nins operated on him. She tried to get some information on his condition, but to no avail.

'Please, please let Naruto be okay.' She prayed. It surprised her that she showed such concern to someone she once said she hated. A few minutes later, Tsunade came out of his room with a melancholic look on her face followed by Kakashi and Shizune. "Hokage-sama, is Naruto going to be okay?" Sakura asked with a look mixed with hope and worry as she stood up.

"Yes...and No." Tsunade replied not looking at her.

"W-what do you mean?" Sakura stammered, tilting her head in confusion. The legendary sucker did not reply, still looking away from the young kunoichi.

"Sakura, Naruto is going to live. But he is in a coma." Shizune answered her dismally.

"But how? Is it because of the poison?" She questioned as she fell back into the chair after hearing the news.

"No. The substance that was on the kunai was a rare and virulent poison that destroys the immune system. It was difficult, but we were able to remove it and heal his wounds." Tsunade explained. "However, for some reason, Naruto refuses to wake up. I tried waking him up with psychological healing, but he didn't respond to it. It's like he's closed his heart and mind to the world." She finished with a heavy sigh.

"This is not like Naruto. Something devastating must have happened to him recently for him to shut down like that." Kakashi deduced. Sakura looked at the floor as tears started to fall from her eyes as she once again was hit with a powerful wave of guilt.

"This is all my fault." Sakura said with a light sob.

"What are you talking about Sakura?" The copy ninja asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Naruto is in a coma because of me." She replied as the tears fell even faster. The pink haired girl explained to them what happened this morning and the things she did and said to the spiky blonde. Needless to say, after the explanation all three of them were angry and disappointed at her. Especially Tsunade and she showed it. For as soon as Sakura finished, she rewarded the kunoichi with a bone-jarring slap across the face, nearly breaking her jaw.

"Sakura! How could you be so cruel to someone who thinks the world of you?! I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Naruto!" The Godaime Hokage berated her with rage evident in her voice. She was originally going to punch the young kunoichi, but decided on the slap instead. Even then, it took every fiber in her being to hold back on the power of the hit, though not by much.

"Tsunade-sama, please calm down." Shizune said trying to ease her temper. But the female sannin was not hearing any of it.

"No Shizune. I didn't say anything when she completely ignored Naruto after I healed Sasuke. But not this time! You should be ashamed of yourself! You don't deserve the kindness and love Naruto's given to you!" Tsunade ranted. She recalled the painful look on her ototo's face as he left the room that day as well as all the stories he told her of the times the pink haired kunoichi ignored and hurt him and it infuriated the slug queen even more. Sakura held the cheek that the Hokage slapped and just cried silently. There was nothing she could say to defend herself. She knew that Tsunade was right in everything she said. Despite all the things she has done to Naruto, the blonde ninja always smiled at her every day. He always cheered her up when she was down. And he always protected her when she needed it.

'Hokage-sama is right. I don't even deserve to see him after what I've done.' Sakura thought. She got up from her chair and left the hospital without looking back.

"Don't you think you were too harsh Hokage-sama?" Kakashi said after she left.

"Sometimes you don't realize what you've got until its gone Kakashi. I learned that lesson the hard way." Tsunade replied putting a hand to her heart remembering the loved ones she lost and the one who nearly died to give Konoha their Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune said quietly with a sad smile.

"It's time that Sakura know what love truly is. Especially on this day." She said.

"What's so special about this day?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"Nothing really, but it's a very special day for Naruto. You can ask him when he wakes up." Tsunade replied cryptically as a smile crossed her face. "Come on Shizune, I need a drink right now." She said as the female sannin and her assistant started to walk away leaving a confused Kakashi.

_Haruno residence_

Sakura walked into her house with bloodshot eyes and dry tears across her face. She cried as she left the hospital and only recently stopped just as she came within a few feet from her house. But as soon as she saw her mother who greeted her as she came into the living room, the young woman ran to her and sobbed once more into her apron. After she calmed down, Sakura explained what happened to Naruto and what she said to him. Sakura's mother had spoken to the Hokage about the spiky blonde once and knew how important he was to her, so she held no ill will towards Tsunade for striking her daughter. Truth be told, she was going to punish her anyway.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Sakura. Even if you were in a bad mood, you had no right to say those things to him." Ms. Haruno said in a scolding tone.

"I'm sorry, Mom." The pink haired kunoichi mumbled lowering her head.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." She sighed. The young Haruno girl silently nodded in agreement. But her heart ached as she felt that she wouldn't have the chance.

"Mom. Did I ever like Naruto the way I like Sasuke-kun now?" Sakura asked sitting next to her mother on the couch curled up. Her mother smiled warmly at Sakura saying nothing as she got up and went upstairs into the attic, confusing the young girl. About fifteen minutes later, she came back down with a slightly dusty box and sat next to her daughter.

"Did Naruto give you a pink flower with red spots on the inside?" Ms. Haruno questioned her daughter.

"No. I stepped on it, but I held onto it." Sakura answered shamefully as she pulled the ruined flower out of the pouch to show to her. The elder woman frowned at her daughter before taking it from her.

"Did you know that this was your favorite flower before you liked Daffodils?" She revealed.

"What?!" Sakura said with a bewildered look.

"It's true. And it's because Naruto gave it to you." The elder woman retorted. The young girl looked at her mother as if she grew another head. She had no memory of accepting any gift from Naruto, let alone a flower. Ms. Haruno read her daughter like a book. "It looks like you don't remember. Let me show you." She said as she opened the dusty box. Inside was a small and neat black shirt with an orange spiral in the center. In addition, there was a pressed flower that looked the same as the crushed one. Finally, in the corner of the box laid a colored picture that had Naruto's name inside a big heart. Sakura almost fell off the couch when she saw the items. "Tell me Sakura. Why do you like Daffodils so much?" Her mother asked.

"Because they represent hope. The hope that Sasuke-kun will like me the way I like him." Sakura answered as a blush crept up on her face. Her mother started to laugh at the dreamy expression on her face.

"It's true that Daffodils are beautiful flowers and they do represent hope. But they also represent love that's unrequited." Ms. Haruno said truthfully. Sakura gasped at what her mother said, forgetting that certain flowers have many meanings. "Now the flower that Naruto gave you is called an Azalea. Like the Daffodil, it has many meanings. But I think the reason he gave it to you is because it represents first love." She explained. This caused the pink haired kunoichi to gasp and widen her eyes in shock at the revelation.

"I'm...Naruto's first love?" Sakura asked completely dumbfounded.

"Yes. And he was your first love too." Her mother replied with a hint of sadness in her voice. Sakura was completely stunned by her answer and could not believe what she said, even though the evidence was right in front of her. The kunoichi stared into her mother's eyes for any hint of a lie or if she was joking. She found none. "If you're still unsure of the truth, then take a look at this." Ms. Haruno said as she looked under the black shirt in the box. She pulled out an old photo of a young Sakura wearing a red shirt and blue pants with the flower in her hair and a huge blush on her face. She was holding the hand of a young Naruto who was wearing a white shirt with a red spiral in front with orange pants. Sakura took the photo and looked behind it seeing today's date.

"T-this is…!" Sakura eyes widened and she gasped in shock as the floodgates of her mind opened, releasing a memory long since lost in her subconscious. Her mother's smile widened.

"Well it took you nearly five years, but you finally remember, don't you Sakura?" She questioned.

"Yes…" Her daughter whispered. Sakura promised herself once that she would never forget that day. Nevertheless, she did forget and it hurt her immensely as she recalled the one day where Naruto was the most important person in her life.

_Flashback-About five years ago_

_During her early years in school, Haruno Sakura was a completely different person than she is today. Back then, she was a timid girl with no self-confidence who was constantly bullied and teased because of her forehead. Until she became friends with Yamanaka Ino, the little girl was afraid she would never have any friends and would always be alone. When she was with the pretty and confident Ino, the blonde girl always stood up for her and protected her from bullies. Especially from her biggest nemesis Ami, who was a very stuck-up purple haired girl that was just as popular as Ino. However, there was one week where the pink haired girl had to fend for herself. Ino was sick with the chicken pox, and Ami decided to take advantage of that. She brought together all the bullies and planned to get revenge against Sakura and Ino for tossing those poisonous flowers in her mouth._

"_It's payback time, forehead! Little Ino can't protect you now." Ami said as the girl and the bullies she gathered tossed mud pies at Sakura, ruining her outfit. She covered her face and cried hoping that they would stop._

"_Please, somebody help me!" Sakura whimpered. As if Kami heard her prayers, somebody tossed a small rock at one of the bullies surprising them._

"_Hey you bullies, leave her alone!" A voice called out. They all turned around to see a little boy with spiky hair holding a rock in his hand._

"_Well, well if it isn't the class baka Naruto." Ami said with a smirk, which caused the bullies to laugh at him._

"_Shut up, you ugly snob! If you wanna pick on somebody, try picking on me!" The spiky blonde countered loudly as he pulled down the lower part of his eyelid and gave her a raspberry. Suffice to say, it infuriated the purple haired girl, causing her to ignore Sakura._

"_Argh! Why you little brat, you are going to pay for that! Get him boys!" Ami yelled. The bullies complied and ran after Naruto. They eventually caught him and started to punch and kick him while Ami threw mud pies at him. Sakura witnessed the whole spectacle and stared in amazement as they attacked him. Naruto covered his face to prevent them from hitting it, but he did not cry once. Considering the verbal and emotional abuse he gets everyday from the villagers, it was a walk in the park. Soon the attacks took their toll on him and he passed out. Iruka finally came out and saw the incident and started to chase Ami and the bullies, causing them to scatter._

_Naruto eventually woke up with his face covered in tears. He looked up and saw Sakura crying over him. He got up, dusted himself off, and stared at the girl looking into her emerald eyes._

'_Wow. She's really pretty!' He thought honestly. Sakura mistakenly thought he was staring at her forehead and turned away, starting to cry once more._

"_No, don't look at me!" She sobbed._

"_Huh? Why not?" Naruto asked while tilting his head._

"_Be-because if you look at my f-forehead, you'll make f-fun of me." Sakura stuttered._

"_Why would I do that? You look really pretty." Naruto said softly. The pink haired girl gasped and looked at him. It was the first time that anyone said that to her._

"_You...really think I'm pretty?" She asked in disbelief._

"_Of course I do! I never go back on my word!" He answered happily giving her his trademark grin while rubbing the back of his head. The girl wiped her tears away and smiled warmly at him as a light blush came across her cheeks._

"_Thank you…" Sakura said softly which caused the blonde boy to blush as well. "My name is Haruno Sakura. What's your name?" She asked._

"_My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Nice to meet you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said in a boisterous tone, not realizing he added the suffix to her name. But she did notice and it caused her blush to deepen a few shades. "Come on Sakura-chan, let's get you cleaned up!" He added as he unconsciously took her hand and led her to the fountain. Sakura was surprised at his actions, but she smiled and said nothing while blushing furiously._

'_He's really nice, and really cute.' She thought. When they reached the fountain, Naruto took out a handkerchief, wet the cloth, and started to wipe the mud off her face and in her short hair._

"_Aren't you going to clean up first, Naruto?" Sakura asked._

"_Ah, don't worry about me Sakura-chan. I'll clean up later." He answered as he gave her the cloth to wipe her clothes off. Unfortunately, even though they got off most of the mud, they could not get it all off her shirt and Sakura started to sniffle once again._

"_What's wrong Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked with a frown._

"_My shirt is ruined. My mom is going to be so mad at me when I get home." Sakura answered sadly. The blonde boy just smiled at her as he removed his black shirt and handed it to her._

"_Here, wear this on your way home." He told her. Her eyes widened as she stared at him and then at the shirt hesitantly._

"_Are you sure it's okay?" Sakura questioned meekly._

"_It's okay, Sakura-chan. You can give it back to me anytime you want to." Naruto answered, giving her a reassuring smile as he turned around the corner to give her privacy. The pink haired girl smiled at the young boy's chivalry and put his shirt over her spoiled top, fixing the ribbon her best friend gave her afterwards._

"_You can come back now." She called. He came back and saw her with his shirt on while her hands were behind her back looking slightly embarrassed. It fit her like a glove._

"_It looks good on you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said giving her the thumbs up. Sakura's face became red as an apple as she smiled at him warmly. She walked over to her blonde knight and hugged him, giving him a kiss on the cheek._

"_Thank you for your kindness, Naruto-kun. And thank you for saving me." Sakura said softly. Naruto was completely stunned at the girl's actions. With the exception of Iruka and the Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi, everyone in the village hated him. They glared at him and called him names like 'demon brat' or 'monster'. And yet here is this girl, hugging him, kissing him and using the affectionate suffix in his name. He was so happy that he almost started to cry tears of joy. It took him a moment to return the hug and he held her firmly, but gently. Sakura never hugged anyone except her mother, she never even hugged Ino. But she could not help but enjoy the warmth he was giving off; it made her feel safe and loved. The let go of each other a minute later and smiled at each other. "Naruto-kun, do you want to be my friend?" She asked happily._

_Naruto face became red at her question. "I-I would like that, Sakura-chan." He slightly stuttered._

"_Really, do you promise?" The girl said beaming at him as she held out her pinky. Naruto saw other kids do this at the playground from his swing and he knew what it meant. With a smile of joy on his face, he held out his pinky and linked it with the girl who would become the first friend his age._

"_I promise Sakura-chan! I will always be here for you." He said seriously, yet happily. After they unlinked fingers, Sakura hugged him again tightly which Naruto gladly returned._

_At the end of school, Naruto walked Sakura to her house holding her hand. Everybody stared in amazement that the 'demon' was walking and talking to the girl. But the two just ignored them and just enjoyed being in their little world._

"_Naruto-kun, do you think I'll ever be a flower?" Sakura asked unexpectedly._

"_Huh? How can you become a flower when you're a girl?" Naruto replied in confusion. The young girl couldn't help but laugh at his response. She then apologized to him and explained the conversation she had with Ino during a flower arrangement lesson. "W-well, I think that you'll b-become a really b-beautiful flower s-someday." He stammered blushing hard after he understood what she meant._

"_Thank you Naruto-kun…" Sakura replied blushing twice as much as he did. After reaching her house, he waved goodbye to her and started to head home but stopped and thought for a moment about Sakura's conversation with Ino. Then an idea popped into his head._

'_I should get her a flower. That will make her really happy!' Naruto thought suddenly as he started to run to his apartment that the Hokage paid for after leaving the orphanage. He would have stayed at the facility if the people there didn't mistreat him. When he went inside his room, he pulled out his 'allowance' that Sarutobi gave him every week and ran back out looking for a flower shop. A half-hour later, he ran to Sakura's house holding a box in his hand while knocking on the door softly, remembering what the Hokage told him about manners._

"_Hello there young man, can I help you?" Ms. Haruno asked as she answered the door._

"_Y-yes Ma'am. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I would like to speak to Sakura please." Naruto replied nervously. Sakura's mother knew about the boy and what was inside of him like the other villagers, but unlike the others, she did not hate him. In fact, she was grateful for what he did for her daughter._

"_So you are the Naruto that my little girl told me about when she came home! Please come in." The woman said happily. The spiky blonde was a bit shy at first, but eventually he followed her inside. She called Sakura down who changed her clothes when she came home. When the girl saw him, she ran to the young boy in delight, giving him a big hug. Her mother smiled at the show of affection. 'I've never seen her look so happy. Not even when that girl Ino became her friend.' She thought._

"_Naruto-kun, I'm so happy to see you! What are you doing here?" Sakura asked after releasing him. Naruto blushed and turned his head away in embarrassment._

"_S-Sakura-chan, I have a p-present for you." He replied holding out the box to her._

"_Y-you brought a p-present for me?" The pink haired girl stuttered while her face heated up. The young boy just nodded silently putting the box in her hands. Sakura not only got a new friend today in Naruto, but was getting a present from him as well. She opened the box to discover a beautiful pink flower with red spots on the inside. "Naruto-kun, this flower is so beautiful!" Sakura squealed._

"_Do you really like it?" The blonde boy asked with hope._

"_Uh-huh. Thank you very much." Sakura said softly with a flushed face. She gave the flower to her mother and walked over to Naruto pulling him into another warm hug and kissing his cheek once more. "You're the best Naruto-kun! I love you." The pink haired girl said as if it was the most natural thing to say._

"_I-I love you too, Sakura-chan." The blonde boy sniffled. Sakura pulled back and looked at her friend to see tears falling down his face. It was the first time anyone had ever said that to him. Moreover, after the way he has been treated since his birth, it was only natural for him to get emotional like this._

"_What's wrong Naruto-kun? Why are you crying?" Sakura asked, worrying that she might have hurt his feelings. Realizing his new friend was looking at him, Naruto quickly wiped the tears away with his arm._

"_It...it's nothing, Sakura-chan. I just had something in my eyes." He mumbled quickly putting a grin on his face. Sakura's mother frowned inwardly. She knew the boy was lying, but didn't want to ruin the moment._

"_Say Naruto-kun, would you like to join us for dinner?" Ms. Haruno asked._

"_Yes Naruto-kun! Please join us. Please?" Sakura pleaded, completely forgetting about him crying a moment ago._

"_Sure! Are we having ramen?" Naruto answered, completely cheering up. The older woman laughed at his enthusiasm._

"_Ha ha ha! No we're not, but I think you'll like what I'm making tonight." Sakura's mother replied. The blonde boy was slightly disappointed, but he didn't want to be impolite. _

"_Okay!" He said loudly. Naruto did enjoy the dinner at the Haruno house that evening. They had barbecue pork with mixed vegetables, and surprisingly he ate all his vegetables. He ended up having three plates. After dinner, the young boy and girl played for an hour talking about many things and playing ninja games. As the sun went down, Ms. Haruno wanted to take a picture to commemorate this special day. Sakura's mother put the pretty flower in her daughter's hair and Naruto held her hand while she took the picture._

"_So Sakura, did you have a good time with your new friend Naruto?" Her mother asked as she tucked her daughter into bed that night._

"_Yes Mom. He's really nice too." Sakura replied with a yawn._

"_He's a cute little boy, isn't he?" Ms. Haruno said teasingly._

"_Uh-huh…" She replied covering her head with the covers to hide her blush._

"_I think so too." Her mother chuckled._

"_Mom, can I ask you something?" The pink haired girl questioned._

"_What is it, my cherry blossom?" The older woman replied. Sakura sat up and put a hand on her chest._

"_When I look at Naruto-kun, I get this warm feeling inside of me. Is this love?" The young girl asked with a light blush on her face. Ms. Haruno eyes widened at her daughter's incredible question. She only just became friends with Naruto today, and already she's asking things such as this at her age. She smiled warmly at her little girl and hugged her tightly._

"_When the time comes my little flower, you'll know the answer to that question yourself. Just promise me that you won't forget that warm feeling you have for Naruto-kun, or the precious memories you have of this day. Do you understand, Sakura?" Ms. Haruno requested in a gentle voice._

"_Yes Mom. I promise." Sakura replied with a warm smile to her mother as she kissed her goodnight._

_End Flashback_

"But you did forget, didn't you Sakura?" Her mother asked with a hint of disappointment. The kunoichi looked away and lowered her head saying nothing. "The next day, I talked to Ino's mother at the flower shop and she told me about Naruto asking for a flower to give to a pretty girl he liked, so she recommended the Azalea since it represented first love. She was going to give it to Naruto for free, but he insisted on paying for it. It cost him all the money he had and she gave him the box to put the flower in so it would look nice when he gave it to you." She continued.

"Naruto did all that...just for me?" Sakura asked incredulously, still looking away from the older woman.

"Yes he did. During the time Ino was sick, you played with him every day and he always had dinner here before he went home. However, after she got well, Naruto stopped coming over and you stopped talking about him altogether. And when you did talk about him, you always complained about him being annoying." Her mother answered with sadness at the end. The pain that Sakura was feeling at that moment was worse than one of Tsunade's punches. All this time she was trying to give her heart to Sasuke, when the one that she always called an idiot had it first.

"After Ino recovered from the chicken pox, I told her about the time I spent with Naruto and she got angry with me. She told me that he was too immature and that I would be bullied and teased more if I played with him because nobody liked him. And I didn't want that." Sakura began to speak. Her mother remained silent, sensing her daughter's need to get this off her chest. "Ino thought that if I got with someone who was popular like Sasuke-kun, I would become popular too. I grew my hair longer when I heard that Sasuke-kun liked girls with long hair and started to talk to the girls who picked on me, saying how cool and mature he was and they started to like me. But when Naruto tried to talk to me, I just ignored him and teased him when the other bullies did. I even called him a freak once." She said shamefully.

"Sakura…" Ms. Haruno said dismally as her daughter continued.

"I remember now. Every year on this day, Naruto would always ask me to spend the day with him and I would either yell at him or hit him and then go looking for Sasuke-kun. I became so infatuated with Sasuke-kun because I wanted him to acknowledge me. I wanted him to love me. I became so obsessed with him that I completely forgot why I started to like him in the first place. And my best friend and my first love suffered for it." The pink haired kunoichi turned to her mother with tears flowing down her face as if they wouldn't stop. "I said and did such horrible things to Naruto, but he always smiled at me. He would always ask me out everyday or cheer me up when Sasuke-kun rejected me, and I just brushed him off. He saved my life when the Sand and Sound attacked us and I never thanked him for it. He even saved Sasuke-kun by bringing Tsunade-sama back to become Hokage, and I just ignored him." She said as she began to break down. "I always thought that Naruto enjoyed seeing me struggle. That he didn't understand anything about me. I even told Sasuke-kun once that he was lucky that he was alone having no parents. The first time we became a team, I said I hated him and would hit him whenever I got angry. But Naruto would still smile at me, he would still care about me, he would still protect me, he would always be there for me just like…he promised." Sakura couldn't hold it in anymore and just fell into her mother's arms and started to sob non-stop.

"It's alright, my cherry blossom…" Ms. Haruno said softly stroking her daughter's hair as she cried the hardest she ever cried in her life.

_Twenty sorrowful minutes later_

"Oh Mom, I'm such a terrible person. Tsunade-sama was right. I don't deserve Naruto's kindness or his love. I've been so cruel to him for so long, and because of what I said to him, he may never wake up again." Sakura muttered in her mother's arms after finally calming down.

"Sakura, it's never too late to tell someone you're sorry. Or that you love them…" Ms. Haruno said gently as she continued to stroke her child's hair.

"But he's in a coma, Mom. He won't hear what I have to say." She said looking up at her.

"Yes he will Sakura, if you speak from your heart." Her mother said sagely.

"Do you really think so? Do you think Naruto will forgive me? Do you think he'll give me one last chance?" The kunoichi asked with pleading eyes.

"If you truly love him and you regret what you've done, then you already know the answer to that." Ms. Haruno answered with a warm smile. Sakura returned it and nodded in understanding. She ran upstairs and cleaned herself up from all the crying she did, coming down several minutes later wearing a red shirt and blue jeans that looked similar to the clothes she wore five years ago. "Wait a minute Sakura. Before you go, take this with you." Her mother called out as her daughter ran to the door. Sakura stopped and walked to her mother who put some money in her hand.

"What's this for, Mom?" The young girl asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you really need to ask, Sakura? Now hurry before visiting hours are over." Her mother replied. The kunoichi slapped her forehead, realizing what the money was for and with a quick kiss on the cheek to her thoughtful parent, she ran out the door. Her mother walked back to the couch, picked up the old photo, and put a hand over her heart. 'Well my little flower, this is your last chance to answer the one question you never answered. Don't blow it this time.' She thought.

_Konoha Hospital_

Sakura walked into Naruto's room quietly as if the slightest noise would shatter the peacefulness of the room. She walked up to his bed and sat at the edge. She looked at his face and saw nothing but sadness in his expression, sadness she knew she caused. It broke her heart to see him like that and it made her nervous, but she shook it off and strengthened her resolve. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, the kunoichi began to speak gently to the comatose boy.

"Hey Naruto. I guess you're surprised to see me here after what I said to you today. I can't say I blame you for not wanting to wake up. It must be so painful being all alone with no family. Not to mention being hurt by someone you have cared about for so long." She said softly as tears started to sting her eyes. "When you saved me that day from Ami and we spent all that time having fun together when we became friends, I got such a warm feeling when I was with you. I felt safe, warm and happy when I hugged you. When I kissed you on the cheek, it felt so natural. And even though I always blushed when I did kiss you, I was never embarrassed or ashamed. You kept your promise to be there for me and you protected me from those bullies who teased me all that week, even though you were beaten up for it." She smiled at the last part. "And what thanks do I give you? I abandon you because I wanted to be popular." She wiped some tears off her face and continued.

"I started to like Sasuke-kun not only because I wanted to be popular, but I wanted to become the fully bloomed flower you and Ino knew I could be. I was always envious of the popularity Sasuke-kun and Ino possessed and I felt inferior. I wanted to prove I could be popular too and I felt the only way I could do that was by surpassing my first friend, which meant leaving the shy and timid person I was behind. And in my mind, the only way I could that was by being with Sasuke-kun, the most popular person in school." Sakura explained. "My mom once told me that a fanatic is a person who doubles their efforts while losing sight of their goal. I didn't understand what she meant back then, but I do now. I was so focused on that goal; it became a part of my being, even up to this point. After my match with Ino, she told me that I finally became a beautiful flower, and I was happy when she said that." The kunoichi placed a hand over her heart. "But deep down inside me, I knew that was a lie, because I didn't become the flower I originally wanted to be. In the end, I became just like Ami, a shallow and insensitive jerk who looked down on other people, just like I did to you Naruto." She took a deep breath, trying to hold back her tears.

"I finally understand now the reason I said and did all those horrible things to you Naruto. It's not because you didn't understand anything about me, or that you were annoying. It was because deep down when I look at you, you remind me of my true self. The person I used to be." Sakura said with melancholy. "I wanted to change so badly that I not only left my old self behind, but I discarded everything that made me who I am. Even the people that loved me for who I was, like you." The tears started to soak her jeans, but she didn't care. "I spoke to Ino before I came to see you. When you wake up, she wants to apologize to you for everything that we did to you back then. But I'm not going to make excuses Naruto, putting all the blame on her. Everything that happened then and now is my entire fault, and if you never want anything to do with me ever again, I'll understand completely and pray to Kami that one day, you'll forgive me for being a blind, cruel and stupid fool that not even my old self wouldn't want anything to do with." The kunoichi lowered her head on his chest.

"On the day we became friends, I asked my mom if the warm feeling I got when I was with you was love. She told me that when the time came I would know the answer myself. When I got my crush on Sasuke-kun, I thought I knew the answer. But when I saw the Azalea that I thoughtlessly crushed today, I felt that a part of my heart was missing. It was after that and finding out how special today was that I finally knew the answer. When you're left with nothing, you realize what's important. If you were to disappear, that's what I would have left. Nothing. From a distance, you've loved me unconditionally ever since we met, and were always willing to put my happiness in front of your own. After that wonderful week together, I never reciprocated that kindness and selflessness. But I want to now, that is...if you'll let me." She gripped the sheets on his bed hard enough to turn her knuckles white and started to bawl like a baby.

"Oh Naruto-kun…I'm so sorry! Please come back so I can give you the love I denied you all these years! Come back so I can beg for your forgiveness a thousand times over for all the times I broke your pure heart! I don't want you to disappear from my life! I don't care what anyone thinks or says anymore! I'll throw everything away if I can have that warm feeling, that kindness, that love you gave me back then! Please don't go away! Please give me another chance! I need you because I…I LOVE YOU UZUMAKI NARUTO!" Sakura yelled hysterically into his chest as she broke down once more. The young woman continued to cry for what seem like an eternity until she felt a hand touch her back.

"S-Sakura-c-chan…" Naruto said weakly, his voice barely a whisper. Sakura's body became petrified and she slowly lifted her head to see the spiky blonde looking at her with his eyes half-closed.

"N-Naruto-kun…?" She stammered with a sore throat.

"Sakura-chan…Please don't cry…" He said giving her a weak smile. It only caused the girl to cry more, as she embraced him tightly holding on to him with every fiber of her being.

"Naruto-kun, you're awake! I'm so glad…" Sakura cried. Naruto just smiled and rubbed the pink haired girl's back with all the strength he could muster. When he fully opened his eyes, he saw an Azalea in her hair and touched it gently with his free hand.

"You…finally…remembered." The spiky blonde said a tiny smile. Sakura lifted her head up and returned it warmly.

"Yes. Thanks to you Naruto-kun." She said quietly as she nuzzled his chest. "I have so much I want to say to you, but I'll say this first. I'm sorry, for everything I've said and done to you that hurt you. I'm so sorry. Do you think...you can give me one last chance to put the wrong things right again?" The kunoichi asked with her bloodshot emerald eyes full of hope.

"It will take time. But actions speak louder than words Sakura-chan…" Naruto said gaining some strength in his voice. Sakura nodded in agreement, understanding what he was trying to say. She moved up to his head until their lips brushed in a gentle and chaste first kiss. Naruto wrapped his arms around her small waist while Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. Sakura felt that warm feeling she felt so long ago return to her body, making her heart feel complete again. A minute later, she affectionately kissed his cheek just like she did long ago.

"Thank you. You're the best, Naruto-kun. I love you." Sakura said happily feeling like a kid again.

"I love you too Sakura-chan…" Naruto said softly as tears started to fall from his eyes. Only this time, he let his tears of joy fall as his thoughts came back to the day he met his first love. It was the happiest moment of his life.

_Epilogue-Two and a half years later_

As Naruto and Jiraiya came back from their two and a half year training trip, Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi and Sakura were waiting for them in the gates of Konoha. After a bone-crushing hug from Tsunade, Naruto turned his attention to his koishii (beloved). She wore a red shirt along with a short skirt and boots. Her hair is still short, but an Azalea was wrapped in her hair. It wasn't their special day, but it was special to them all the same. The ninjas walked up to each other, checking the other out with pleased looks on their faces.

"Welcome home, Naruto-kun." Sakura said beaming at him.

"It's good to be home, Sakura-chan." Naruto replied returning her smile. She walked up to the spiky blonde, giving him a seductive pose while showing off her curves.

"So what do you think, Naruto-kun? Do I look more womanly now?" The pink haired kunoichi asked flirtatiously. Naruto said nothing and just walked up to her with a smirk on his face. With surprising speed he put an arm around her waist and pulled her in, capturing her lips in a surprisingly passionate kiss. Sakura eyes widened for a moment until she closed them and put a hand in the back of his head, deepening the kiss and moaning softly into his mouth. Everyone's jaws hit the floor at the intimate moment between the young lovers. Jiraiya not surprisingly, was scribbling in his notepad until Tsunade cracked him upside the head causing Kakashi and Shizune to giggle.

"You look **fine**. You haven't changed at all." Naruto said seductively after breaking the kiss, giving her behind a quick caress.

"You're so sweet…" Sakura replied with glazed eyes, gasping for breath. The young man picked her up, carrying her bridal style and left the four elite ninjas in the dust.

"Hey, hold on a minute Naruto." Kakashi tried to call out to them, but Tsunade grabbed the copy ninja by his jonin vest.

"Don't even think about it, Kakashi…" The female sannin growled giving him a glare that would make any ninja wet his pants. Immediately getting the message he put his hands up in defeat. A few blocks away Naruto started to walk with Sakura in his arms.

"Naruto-kun?" Sakura called to him with her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Yeah?" Naruto said.

"I love you very much." She said softly.

"I love you **more**." He countered in the same soft voice after giving her a quick kiss.

"You know Naruto-kun, we're at the right age." Sakura said seductively.

"Right age? For what?" Naruto asked tilting his head in confusion. The young woman giggled and whispered in his ear what she meant. A huge blush plastered his face. "Sakura-chan, I knew I fell in love with you for a reason!" He joked. They both started to laugh until he picked up the pace to his apartment. After all, they do have six years, five months and four weeks to catch up on.

Authors Note 2: Ah, finally I'm done. You have no idea how much of a friggin pain it was to do that coma scene. I hope I did it justice to all you Heaven & Earth fans. I'm going to rest for a while, then I'm going to start chapter 4 of The Clan of Currents when I'm ready. As I said in my profile, if you have any ideas regarding your favorite kunoichi for my next Naruto Flower Tales, please don't be shy. Tell me in your reviews (Just a few minutes of your time :).), or send me an e-mail or message. I'm always looking for inspiration and I always give credit where credit is due! Remember, I write these one shots and my fics for all our pleasure :)! I will always listen to what my fans have to say. Before I disappear into the shadows once more, I want to give a shout out to the anonymous reviewers of my Naruto Flower Tales: Ino story, Kurai and Ozarka. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words. And to all my fellow readers and reviewers. Please spread the word about my stories to the Naruto and fan fiction fans. It would be appreciated as always. Later :)!


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